Apache Brave Massage Fitness Coaching

Total Muscular Therapy

Injuries and muscle Dysfunctions

Almost all physical problems can be placed down to muscle dysfunctions, if our muscles become tight or weak that will have a profound affect on our joints and the ability to complete everyday tasks. We have to keep a good balance between our muscles to have a healthy posture and lifestyle. If you just do “sit ups” all day and never work on your back extensors your posture will change, bringing your upper body into flexion creating a weak back and later on back problems. It’s also your working posture that can affect you body and create muscular problems. If you sit at a desk all day, typing at a computer, your chest muscles will become tight pulling your shoulders round and causing upper back, shoulders and neck problems. Don’t fear or worry too much, a simple workout can resolve and balance out these issues. It’s always better to keep in shape with simple workouts and regular massages than to deal with injuries, time off work or if at worse, surgery.

The Spine (Back Pain)

Back problems affects 80% of all people at some time in their life. There is no specific category of subject who suffers back pain more frequently than offers - labourers are affected as often as clerks, men as often as women. Important contributory factors are hard physical work, lifting, static working postures, and vibration.

Disc herniation:

This is commonly referred to as a "slipped disc". The nerve root becomes compressed causing pain locally and radiating into the gluteal area, down the leg and foot.

Presentation:

  • Pain, particularly in flexion and extension
  • Neural symptoms in flexion

Low back pain:

Pain is localised to the lower back and is usually caused by rotation and incorrect lifting from flexed positions.

 

Presentation

  • Muscle spasm in the lower back
  • The posture adopted will be one that causes the least pain
  • Feeling of breathlessness

The Hip & Bum Area 

Piriformis syndrome:

The piriformis is a key muscle prone to tightness due to poor posture, incorrect movement patterns or poor stability and control. This has important implications as the sciatic nerve passes underneath or through the piriformis, causing impingement.

 

Presentation:

  • Referred pain into the groin, hamstrings, calf and foot
  • Hypertonic and painful piriformis on touch

Sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction:

The SI joint works as a shock absorber with a small amount of rotary movement available at the joint

 

Presentation:

  • Pain around L5
  • Soft tissue dysfunction in the deep anterior and posterior hip muscles

 

 Groin pain

The majority of groin pain is caused by simple muscle strains. Muscles that are strained are

  • Adductors
  • Hamstrings
  • Hip flexors
  • Deep hip rotators

All the above muscles will refer pain in and around the groin area.

 

Knee Pain

 

Iliotibial band syndrome:

The TFL and ITB aid in the stability of the hip, femur and tibia during weight bearing activities and for this reason can become excessively tight. Iliotibial band syndrome is commonly known as "runners knee". Overuse, ecessive foot pronation or eccentric loading (running downhill) causes friction between the iliotibial band and the outside of the hip leading to inflammation and lateral knee pain.

 

Presentation:

  • Sharp pain at the lateral aspect of the knee, particularly when eccentrically loaded
  • Pain increases whilst running

 

Patella dysfunction:

There are several conditions affecting the function of the patella, the two most common are;

 

Patellofemoral pain which results from abmormal tracking of the patella in the femoral groove causing degeneration of the articular cartilage of the patella. Excessive foot pronation, a tight ITB or hamstring or weakened thigh muscles can all contribute to this dysfunction.

 

Presentation:

  • Pain and crepitus (noise) arou8nd the patella
  • Quadriceps hypotonicty

 

Patella tendonitis:

Commonly known as "jumpers' knee", excessive loading through the tendon, as in explosive activities, can lead to the inflammation of the patella tendon.

 

Presentation:

  • Pain on eccentric loading of the quadriceps
  • Thickening of the patella tendon

 

Mesisci, Medial collateral ligament, Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL):

These are the most commonly damaged ligaments and cartilage within the knee, with the ACL the most common injury of the knee. Often a "pop" or "crack" at the time of occurrence.

 

Presentation:

  • Pain on the joint margin of the knee
  • Locking of the joint
  • Inflammation of the joint capsule
  • Joint laxity
  • Pain deep in the joint
  • Inflammation
  • Reduced range of motion

 

Shoulder Pain 

Adhesive capsulitis:

This commonly known as "frozen shoulder" and can be a combination of inflammation, adhesions and a loss of connective tissue elasticity. If not addressed, adhesive capsulitis can leas to serious degeneration of the joint.

Presentation:

  • Pain at the deltoid insertion
  • Reduced range of motion
  • Hypotrophy of muscles

Excessive joint instability:

This is a chronic condition associated with overuse of the rotator cuff muscles often leaving them fatigued and lengthened and unable to provide sufficient stability

Presentation:

  • Pain during and after function
  • Neurological systems in the arm
  • Sense of partial dislocation

Impingement:

Impingement at the shoulder is a common condition involving the acromion process and the soft tissue structures that can become trapped between the acromion and the head of the humerus. Impingement is usually caused by overuse during function involving arm abduction, extension or overhead activities.

Presentation:

  • Pain on overhead function
  • Compensatory movement of the scapular when abducting the arm above ninety degrees

Acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries:

In the majority of injuries to the AC joint happen by:

  • Falling onto the point of the shoulder causing a sprain to the AC ligament
  • Straining the deltoid attachments
  • Fractures to the acromial process, clavicle and ribs

Presentation:

  • Pain in the affected area
  • Reduced function and/or range of motion

Elbow Pain

 

Lateral elbow tendonosis:

This is commonly known as "tennis elbow". As a result of overuse, this occurs when the fibres of the extensors become damaged at their attachment to the radius through overuse:

Presentation:

  • Severe pain on the outside of the elbow
  • Weakness in the wrist

Medial elbow tenonosis:

Commonly known as "throwers" or "golfers elbow", this is the same as lateral elbow tendinosis but affects the flexors of the forearm. 

Presentation:

  • Severe pain on th inside of the elbow
  • Weakness in the wrist

Compartment syndrome:

This results from increased pressure in the forearm following post-impact bleeding, sustained compression (e.g. cycling) and use of power tools or inflammation from overuse. Carpal tunnel and repetitive strain injury (RSI) are variations of this.

Presentation:

  • Worsening pain during function
  • Swelling
  • Neurological symptoms, particularly numbness in the hands and fingers